Asked by: Emma Lewell (Labour - South Shields)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 11 March 2019 to Question 228749 on Driving: Autism, what estimate he has made of the number of drivers with autism affected by the guidance on the DVLA website between 15 February and 4 March.
Answered by Jesse Norman - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
The DVLA is writing to 246 drivers who have contacted them since 15 February to confirm whether their condition affects their driving. Medical assessments will be only be undertaken in cases where it does.
Asked by: Emma Lewell (Labour - South Shields)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how long the guidance that drivers with autism must notify the DVLA regardless of whether the condition affects their driving was on the DVLA website before it was amended; and how many drivers contacted the DVLA to inform them of their condition during that time period.
Answered by Jesse Norman - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
There was inconsistent advice on GOV.UK concerning the need for drivers with autism to notify the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) of their condition. Attempts to clarify the guidance on 15 February caused confusion and the website was amended on 4 March.
The DVLA is currently assessing each case as some will have notified their condition because it affects their driving or they may have notified other medical conditions. The number of people who contacted the DVLA as a result of this issue is low. The DVLA will be writing to each of these drivers to confirm whether their condition affects their driving and only if it does will medical investigations be undertaken.
Asked by: Emma Lewell (Labour - South Shields)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many ENG1 medical fitness certificates were issued to seafarer (a) Ratings and (b) Officers by doctors approved by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency in each year from 2010-11 to 2017-18.
Answered by Nusrat Ghani
The Maritime and Coastguard Agency publishes the annual statistics by calendar year for ENG1 seafarer medical fitness examinations on gov.uk. Information about the rank of the seafarer is not collected so it is not possible to give statistics for ratings and officers.
The total numbers of ENG1 seafarer medical fitness certificates issued in 2010 to 2017 are as follows:
Year | ENG1 certificates issued |
2010 | 46798 |
2011 | 51116 |
2012 | 51476 |
2013 | 53618 |
2014 | 53311 |
2015 | 52179 |
2016 | 51745 |
2017 | 52400 |
Asked by: Emma Lewell (Labour - South Shields)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of the UK leaving the EU on the Maritime and Coastguard Agency’s administration of seafarers’ medical fitness certification.
Answered by Nusrat Ghani
The Maritime and Coastguard Agency has considered the impact of the UK leaving the EU on the administration of UK seafarers’ medical fitness certification and does not envisage any impact on the administration of the system.
Asked by: Emma Lewell (Labour - South Shields)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many seafarers have taken examinations at the Maritime and Coastguard Agency’s North East Exam Centre in South Tyneside College to date; and what the pass rate has been for (a) deck, (b) engine and (c) other oral exams taken at that centre.
Answered by Nusrat Ghani
The Maritime and Coastguard Agency opened the North East Exam Centre at South Tyneside College on the 7 March 2017.
From March 2017 to end of June 2018, the North East Exam Centre has undertaken:
(a) 761 Deck Oral examinations, with a success pass rate of 52%
(b) 834 Engineer Oral examinations, with a success pass rate of 77%
(c) 6 Other (i.e. Boatmasters’ Licence) Oral examinations with a success pass rate of 100%
Asked by: Emma Lewell (Labour - South Shields)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what savings the Maritime and Coastguard Agency has made from the Survey and Inspection Transformation Programme to date.
Answered by Nusrat Ghani
The Survey and Inspection Programme was initiated to overcome challenges the Agency was facing in meeting its obligations because of critical shortages of appropriate skilled and qualified staff. Efficiencies are being realised, through estate rationalisation and improved business and operational process but, these are all being reinvested in order to meet the Chief Secretary of the Treasury requirement for cost neutrality.
The Estates Rationalising Plan, developed following public consultation and set out in the Business Case, aims to reduce the Maritime and Coastguard Agency’s footprint per person and realise annual savings of some £400k. This work is not yet complete but remains on target in terms of time and cost.
Once completed, the effectiveness and achievement of planned savings will be reviewed.
Asked by: Emma Lewell (Labour - South Shields)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress the Maritime and Coastguard Agency has made on inspecting (a) Priority I high risk, (b) Priority I non-high-risk and (c) Priority I international shipping calling at UK ports and anchorages in the last 12 months.
Answered by Nusrat Ghani
The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) monitors the inspection of foreign flag ships in UK and Gibraltar ports and anchorages under the Port State Control regime.
The target for this is set on a calendar year basis. The number of inspections for 2017 and 2018, to date are shown below.
| 2017 | 2018 (to date 04/07/2018) |
Priority I high risk | 18 | 12 |
Priority I non-high-risk | 885 | 438 |
Priority II | 409 | 317 |
Total | 1312 | 767 |
Target | 1419 | 1590 |
The MCA is slightly behind the half year target of 795 but is confident that they will make up the deficit by the end of 2018.